On this week's Interior Design Masters on BBC1, contestants were paired off and challenged with making over a highstreet store in the beautiful spa town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire.
Interior Design Masters series 4, episode 4
Casting their expert critical eye this week alongside head judge Michelle Ogundehin was the entrepreneur and retail expert Ross Bailey.
It was a close call on the elimination sofa, but after deliberating, head judge Michelle decided it was Ry, with his shoe shop transformation, who would be going home.
Here we catch up with Ry to find out what it was like to take part in the hit TV series...
Hi Ry, we've loved watching you in the new series of Interior Design Masters and were so sorry to see you leave this week. Can you tell us what first inspired you to enter the show?
I’ll be honest I kind of just applied on a whim! Some of my colleagues mentioned I should go for it and I did then the rest is history. I’m so grateful that I was given this amazing opportunity.
I would have loved more plants in my spaces however as you know the budgets are tight and I can’t splurge all the money on plants!
What interior design style would you say you most align with and why?
I would say biophilic design is something that I really relate to. For me, nature is a calm place to reset, relax and just feel grounded so I try to achieve that in all my spaces.
I’ll admit I would have loved more plants in my spaces however as you know the budgets are tight and I can’t splurge all the money on plants now! But something about merging the inside with the outside is just rather beautiful.
Your brief this week was to make over a shoe shop. How did you find that in comparison to designing for the home?
I studied residential interior design so I wasn’t quite prepared for commercial properties haha! It’s harder than you think and you have to take a lot more into consideration when designing. It’s like you’re trying to fulfil two clients' needs; one of the shop owner and one of the potential customers.
It felt overwhelming for sure but I did enjoy the contrast of a larger space with a window scheme which is something you don’t really get with residential.
I was so moved when I heard Michelle said I was a very talented designer
Is there a dream retail brand you’d love to design for?
I mean a garden centre would be so much fun haha. One that sells homeware too. It all goes back to biophilic design - incorporating home interiors and plants together. Maybe if Liberty wanted an earthy-inspired scheme with lots of character and a bunch of soft tones I’d be there!
What interior wisdom from head judge Michelle will stay with you?
The wisdom I got from Michelle was that the product is key when designing a commercial space. Also to not be so serious and let my playful side to my interiors come out. I was so moved when she said I was a very talented designer. I didn’t get to hear that in person so that will stick with me.
Has the show changed how you view interior design? Will you do anything differently now?
It’s definitely made me more confident, believe I can do anything, and to continue going with my passions. Go big but stay true to who you are and don’t try and be like other designers. Find your niche and stick to it, which I think I discovered while on the show.
Check back on our Interior Design Masters series 4 page each week to see more contestant interviews.
